Plants that bloom in October in Zone 9 with red flowers

Annual Vinca

Glossy-leaved heat champion (botanically unrelated to true Vinca minor) that blooms through humidity that wilts everything else.

Big Bluestem

The signature grass of the tallgrass prairie, turning copper-bronze in fall with distinctive turkey-foot seed heads.

Bishop of Llandaff Dahlia

Brilliant scarlet semi-double blooms above near-black foliage. The contrast between leaf and flower is unmatched in the dahlia world.

Blanket Flower

Fiery bicolor pinwheels that bloom nonstop in the worst heat and soil.

Bougainvillea

Explosive cascades of papery magenta, hot pink, or coral bracts that smother walls, fences, and pergolas with nonstop color from spring through fall in zones 9 to 11.

Calibrachoa

Mini petunias that bloom nonstop in hanging baskets. Dozens of color options and no deadheading needed.

California Fuchsia

Low mounds of gray foliage are covered in tubular red-orange flowers in late summer.

Cape Honeysuckle

Clusters of vivid orange-red trumpets bloom from fall through spring. Evergreen in mild climates and a hummingbird magnet in every month it flowers.

Celosia

Flame-shaped or crested flowers in electric colors that dry beautifully. Heat lovers that thrive in summer.

Chrysanthemum

The fall icon. Mounds of color when everything else is fading.

Cinco de Mayo Rose

Smoky lavender-rust blooms with copper undertones unlike any other rose. Modern fragrance, modern disease resistance, and a color you will not find anywhere else.

Cosmos

Airy, dancing flowers on thread-thin stems. Effortless cottage garden charm.

Dahlia

Endless forms from dinner-plate to pompom. The obsession of flower farmers.

Don Juan Climbing Rose

Deep velvety red climber with classic rose fragrance. Repeats reliably on a strong, vigorous plant.

Double Knock Out Rose

Fuller, double-petaled version of the Knock Out. Same bulletproof performance with more petal count.

Drift Rose

Groundcover rose that stays low and spreads wide. Tough, disease-resistant, and constantly in bloom.

Firespike

Tall spires of brilliant scarlet tubular flowers light up the fall garden. Hummingbird candy that thrives in the heat and humidity of the Gulf South.

Gomphrena

Papery clover-shaped pom-poms on wiry stems. Drought-proof, deer-proof, and dries perfectly for winter arrangements.

Hawaiian Hibiscus

Large tropical blooms in vivid colors appear repeatedly from spring through fall.

Impatiens

The shade annual champion. Flowers prolifically where nothing else will.

Karma Choc Dahlia

Velvety dark burgundy waterlily blooms that read almost black in low light. Strong stems built for the vase.

Knock Out Rose

The rose that changed everything. Disease-resistant, self-cleaning, and blooms nonstop from spring to frost.

Lantana

Multi-colored flower clusters that bloom relentlessly in brutal heat.

Mandevilla

Glossy vines are covered in showy trumpet flowers from early summer to frost in warm climates.

Marigold

Bulletproof color all season long. The workhorse of warm-toned borders.

Miscanthus

Tall, graceful plumes that persist through winter. Living architecture.

Mister Lincoln Rose

Deep dark red hybrid tea blooms with an intense damask fragrance on long stems. The benchmark for classic red roses since 1964.

Morning Glory

Fast-climbing vine with trumpets that open fresh every morning.

Pelargonium

The classic window-box geranium. Ball-shaped flower clusters above scalloped leaves. Tough container staple.

Pentas

Star-shaped flower clusters that hummingbirds and butterflies hit on every pass. Blooms nonstop in heat that stops impatiens cold.

Petunia

Cascading color for containers and beds. Blooms nonstop until frost.

Plumeria

Intoxicatingly fragrant tropical blooms. The flower of Hawaiian leis.

Portulaca

Succulent-leaved sun lover with silky rose-like blooms that thrives where pavement, rock, or sand defeats everything else.

Pride of Barbados

Flame-orange and yellow flower clusters that hummingbirds and swallowtails cannot resist. Thrives on heat, dies back at frost, returns every spring.

Purple Fountain Grass

Burgundy foliage topped with fuzzy rose-colored plumes. Stunning in containers where it's treated as an annual in cold climates.

Rose

The queen of the garden. Modern varieties are surprisingly low-maintenance.

Scabiosa

Pincushion blooms on long wiry stems dance over fine foliage. Pollinator magnet that keeps producing if you keep cutting.

Scarlet Sage

Electric red spikes that hummingbirds zero in on. Common bedding plant that earns its spot every year.

Sedum

Succulent leaves, tough as nails. Ages to deep crimson in autumn.

Shenandoah Switchgrass

Compact selection that turns vivid burgundy-red in late summer earlier than any other switchgrass.

Strawflower

Papery petals that already look like dried flowers when fresh. The original everlasting, hanging on long after every other bloom fades.

Switchgrass

Upright native grass with airy seed heads. Gold and red fall color.

Turk's Cap

Nodding red hibiscus flowers that never fully open are pure hummingbird candy across the Gulf South.

Wax Begonia

Glossy leaves and nonstop flowers in sun or shade. One of the most reliable bedding plants anywhere.

Zinnia

Easy-grow annual with electric colors. Cut-and-come-again champion.